The Atlanta Jazz Festival—Some Observations

The 34th anniversary of The Atlanta Jazz Festival just finished up this weekend and I have some thoughts:

1) APD MUST start to speak to people like Officer Cook spoke to me. As I sat in our tent waiting patiently for the crew to arrive, an Officer Cook approached with a smile and a handshake. He asked if I was aware that we had to grill on the other side of the path. He was nice and spoke to me as one citizen to another. Thank you.

2) The officers outside were another story. Every year there were different rules for the street on 1oth Street—unload quickly, no unloading, keep it moving, no stopping, etc. Now this is understandable as it is a major street but don't talk to grown taxpayers as if they are perps. There is no excuse for yelling at people, there is no cause for threats of towing, and certainly there is no cause for haranguing women verbally. Remember the city invited us to its party, so its at best rude to invite a guest over and then yell at them for parking in the wrong place.

3) Changing Rules. A 34-year-old event should have all the rules down by now. No dogs. Gas grills, yes, but here not here. Tents are just on hills but umbrellas are good anywhere. What is it? Just get one set of rules and stick with them. What happens is we get told one thing one year and adapt to it only to have a completely new set of rules to learn the next.

4) The Acts. This is most egregious down turn in the show since I first went in 1998. It used to be we went for the acts. The biggest decision was which day do we have the big party. Because it used to be that both days were filled with great acts. But even if there were just two great acts, there would be two more better acts than have been in two years. I now find myself going for the get together with friends rather than the music. The music is largely becoming filler with an occasional clapping after each solo. Money is tight but there are some great jazz bands in the City of Atlanta and would be great to have an All Star City of Atlanta Jazz band and maybe meld the Rialto band with the North Atlanta High band. But to have four student bands in a big city Jazz Festival is a little insulting to us patrons and fans. I love the kids but dont we have great professional local talent?

5) Music. In between the acts there is ample time to involve us, the audience. I know that this concert seeks to keep alive jazz and I applaud that. But the time between acts should be for us, the patrons. Give us some Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire and Luther. Because jazz fans are, at heart, music fans. And there is at least 40 minutes between acts give us something to keep the party moving. (Maybe Dj sets of old school music?)

Well, those are my suggstions. I produce the third wednesdays of the month for the Wednesday Wind Down concerts in Centennial Olympic Park so I do know a little something about entertaining people at a concert.

Speaking of, my next concert is June 15th, and it starts at 5:30 p.m. Come on down and, at the end., tell me if you had fun.